Yale Football Blog

Pitsenberger and Peterson return to form a stellar duo that should relieve some pressure on our inexperienced signal caller. Both backs have the speed, power, and vision to start for any Ancient Eight member. Pitsenberger shows a bit more patience before hitting the hole and possesses more size and power than Peterson, but Peterson flies through narrow gaps and has a bit more top end speed than Pitsenberger. We’ve harped on the topic for years that having two quality backs with varying styles puts defenders at a disadvantage and once again Reno will have the 1-2 punch of dynamic backs in his toolset for 2024.

Denney came on strong at the end of 2023 scoring a touchdown versus Harvard and if it weren’t for a bobbled reception in The Game, he would have been hailed as a hero for his performance in the contest. Daal is the largest of the backs at 223 lbs. and has been impressive in practice over the last two seasons, so we expect additional contribution from him this upcoming season. Freshman Cutler Adams is a playmaker with the speed to simply outrace defenders and the natural instincts to weave through traffic on inside carries. Freshman Adam Pandolfi is a well-rounded athlete who played running back, safety and punter at the high school level and has the vision to develop into a special back in the coming years.

Projected Three Deep:

Pitsenberger/Peterson

Denney

Daal

Bradyn Fleharty (6’3”, 200 lbs.), QB, Hilliard Bradley (Galloway, OH)

Adam Pandolfi (6’0”, 195 lbs.), RB, North Haven (North Haven, CT)

Cuttler Adams (6’0”, 195 lbs.), RB, Robbinsville (Robbinsville, NC)

Kyle Maltarich (6’2”, 185 lbs.), WR, West Holmes (Millersburg, OH)

Camden Hickox (6’3”, 180 lbs.), WR, Appling County (Baxley, GA)

Jaxton Santiago (6’3”, 220 lbs.), WR, Bakersfield Centennial (Bakersfield, CA)

Davis Wong (6’0”, 175 lbs.), WR, Brentwood (Los Angeles, CA)

Chase Collyer (5’8”, 175 lbs.), WR, Loomis Chaffee (Windsor, CT)

Thomas Bacon Jr. (6’4”, 205 lbs.), WR, Long Island Lutheran (Westbury, NY)

Brady Wagner (6’3”, 225 lbs.), TE, Grapevine (Grapevine, TX)

Colton Sanders (6’3”, 225 lbs.), TE, Katy (Katy, TX)

Bennett Anderson (6’5”, 270 lbs.), OL, Bellarmine College Prep (Morgan Hill, CA)

Kevin Cassidy (6’6″, 285 lbs.), OL, Mountainside (Beaverton, OR)

Charlie Humphreys (6’5”, 280 lbs.), OL, Cistercian Prep (Dallas, TX)

Trent Page (6’2”, 250 lbs.), DL, The Blake School (Maple Grove, MN)

Lota Ugokwe (6’2”, 225 lbs.), DL, George Walton (Marietta, GA)

Sam McGivern (6’2”, 245 lbs.), DL, Kimberly (Kimberly, WI)

Xavier Rivers (6’1”, 240 lbs.), DL, Northwest (Darnestown, MD)

Jackson Boone (6’3”, 210 lbs.), DL, The Peddie School (Lawrence Township, NJ)

Mack Johnson (6’3”, 240 lbs.), DL, High Point Christian (High Point, NC)

Steven Partin (6’1”, 210 lbs.), LB, Knox Central (Flat Lick, KY)

Joe McCord (6’1”, 215 lbs.), LB, Alcoa (Knoxville, TN)

Eddie Palumbo (6’3”, 210 lbs.), LB, Archbishop Stepinac (Yorktown Heights, NY)

Brandon Banks (5’11”, 175 lbs.), DB, Aliquippa (Aliquippa, PA)

Charles Barkley-Smith (5’11”, 180 lbs.), DB, Loganville (Loganville, GA)

Billy Eastep (6’1”, 190 lbs.), DB, Brophy College Prep (Phoenix, AZ)

Breylan Thompson (6’1”, 175 lbs.), DB, Episcopal (Bellaire, TX)

JP Schmidt (5’11”, 190 lbs.), DB, Immaculate Conception (Elmhurst, IL)

Chris White (6’0”, 190 lbs.), DB, Cheshire Academy (San Diego, CA)

Dillon Rickenbacker (6’1”, 210 lbs.), DB, St. John Bosco (Los Angeles, CA)

Updated Roster: 2024 Football Roster – Yale University (yalebulldogs.com)

The Chicago Bears selected Kiran Amegadjie in the 3^rd round of the NFL Draft at 75^th overall. The Hinsdale native grew up as a Bears fan and was a coveted prospect for Chicago given his elite arm length and athleticism. Amegadjie is still recovering from the quad injury that he suffered early in the 2023 Ivy season but should be healthy by July in time for preseason camp. Clearly the Bears have faith in offensive linemen from Yale given the prior success of Dieter Eiselen in Chicago.

The New Orleans Saints signed Mason Tipton as an undrafted free agent. Titpon’s blazing speed (4.33 40-yard dash at his pro day) and exceptional catching abilities will hopefully impress the Saints enough to keep him on the active roster or practice squad in 2024.

The Denver Broncos selected Nick Gargiulo in the 7^th round of the Draft and Gargiulo has already signed his 4-year rookie contract. Gargiulo’s versatility at multiple positions along the offensive line combined with his intellect and toughness gave Denver the confidence that he could develop into a starting guard or center in the NFL.

Ezekiel Larry has committed to play at San Diego State University. Larry cited financial hardship as a motivating factor in his decision to transfer but clearly did not calculate the potential future income ramifications for trading a Yale degree for an SDSU degree.

Clay Patterson was evidently unhappy during his brief stint at UNLV and committed to Stanford earlier today.

Spring Game Notes from Viewers:

RAY YALE FOOTBALL FAN:

“WR NICO BROWN LOOKED VERY GOOD TODAY . HE HAS EXCELLENT HANDS AND SPEED. QBS WERE SOSO. ONE QB (?) MADE A NICE FLEE FLIXER( SIC ?) PASS FOR A TD. CENTERING TO THE QB WAS MOSTLY POOR. EITHER THE BALL WAS TOO HIGH AND THE QB HAD TO REACH FOR IT OR THE BALL WENT OVER HIS HEAD. AS USUAL, THERE WERE NO ROSTER SHEETS.”

“ALSO, NICK CONFORTI SHOWED VERY GOOD RANGE PLACE KICKING YESTERDAY @ THE SPRING GAME.”

Anonymous:

“There are only 3 QBs Howe, Jordan and McGaughey”

Hopeful:

“Wr’s who impressed me were 84 McKoy, 6’5” 215lbs Plexico Burris type of receiver. 83 June 6’3” 190lbs . 82 Tattersall 6’5”211lbs all possession type receivers. The new #1 Shipp with a 1 handed grab was a catch to marvel at.
Defensive line looks formidable but it should in a spring game. 98 Dylan Yang, 99 Austin Cooper, 43 Micah Shaber 37 Cabrea few others looked like they will cause havoc.
They’re were more than a few pass coverage slip ups by the defensive backfield . But again that will be rectified by the start of the season.
Offensive line , they had problems with the center to QB exchange. But when they put 61 Conner Smith in there. That seemed a bit smoother. Each QB did a decent job. But none really solidified themselves. But each has talent and potential to play for this team
Kicking Conforti , looks to be the man for the duty.
But in my minds eye , I see tremendous upside and growth in this team. Look forward to see how they grow and develop as they start 151 season.”

“Also 14 Duncan looked great as well. #37 Cave not Cabrea.”

JACK Hoss:

“#15 was 7/8-10, 3 TDs & drove the team down 3 of 4 drives.”

Son of Eli:

“That would be Brogan McCaughey. On paper he seems to be the best option to be the starting QB but he’ll need to win the job at practice. Looks like he’s off to a good start.”

JH:

“Saw highlights of the scrimmage from last Saturday. I was very pleased to see Donavan McKoy, on the field. I think Yale is going to surprise a few teams this year. “

Sophomore DE Ezekiel Larry announced that he entered the transfer portal on April 12th and has received offers from Virginia Tech, Ohio, Nevada, Arkansas State, and San Diego State. This transfer is far more painful than the previous transfer of Warner to Florida as Larry came on strong at the end of the season and looked poised to become a star in 2024.

Unfortunately we will not have eyes on the Spring Game today at noon for the first time in years, so please post your thoughts and impressions in the comments section and we will repost to the main page.

Men’s Basketball will square off against the Auburn Tigers tomorrow at 4:15 PM ET in the first round of the NCAA March Madness. The Bulldogs defeated the Brown Bears in the Ivy League Tournament Championship with an improbable last-minute comeback to secure their bid to the Big Dance.

Men’s Lacrosse is currently ranked #8-9 in the country depending on the publication and heads to Ithaca this week to square off against the pre-season favorite Cornell Big Red.

Coach Paul Rice, former captain of the Bulldogs, is back in the proper shade of blue following his stint at Columbia. Rice will be coaching the tight ends in 2024 and is joined by newcomer Chris Bergeski, who will be coaching running backs. Bergeski most recently coached the wide receivers at URI and was previously the Offensive Coordinator at Southern Connecticut.

Kiran Amegadjie and Nick Gargiulo both attended the NFL Combine although only Gargiulo participated in testing and field drills. Scouts project that Amegadjie could be drafted as early as the 3^rd or 4^th round due to his coveted combination of size, arm length, athleticism, and power. Gargiulo will likely have a shot at making an NFL roster as an undrafted free agent but could wind up as a late round selection. Nolan Grooms and Mason Tipton will also likely have opportunities to test their skills against NFL competition in offseason camps. Tipton recorded an unofficial 40 yard dash time of 4.32 seconds according to JL Sports.

The Reno Road Show is back with stops in Los Angeles (04/23), San Francisco (04/24), Chicago (04/25), Dallas (04/29) and Washington DC (06/13).

The Greg Hall ’77 Senior Reception will be held at the Yale Club of New York on April 17^th.

Adam Pandolphi, RB/DB, 6’1” 200 lbs., North Haven (North Haven, CT)

Bennett Anderson, OL/DL, 6’5” 270lbs., Bellarmine Prep (San Jose, CA)

Billy Eastep, DB, 6’0” 200 lbs., Brophy Prep (Phoenix, AZ)

Brady Wagner, TE, 6’3″ 225 lbs., Grapevine (Grapevine, TX)

Bradyn Fleharty, QB, 6’3″ 200 lbs., Hilliard Bradley (Hilliard, OH)

Brandon Banks, DB, 6’0” 170 lbs., Aliquippa (Aliquippa, PA)

Breylan Thompson, DB, 6’1” 170 lbs., Episcopal (Bellaire, TX)

Camden Hickox, WR, 6’2”, 180 lbs., Appling County (Baxley, GA)

Charles Barkley-Smith, WR, 6′0” 175 lbs., Loganville (Loganville, GA)

Charlie Humphreys, OL, 6’7” 285 lbs., Cistercian Prep, (Dallas, TX)

Chris White, DB, 6’0” 190 lbs., Cheshire Academy (Cheshire, CT/San Diego, CA)

Colton Sanders, TE/OLB, 6’3” 225 lbs., Katy (Katy, TX)

Cuttler Adams, RB, 6’0″ 192 lbs., Robbinsville (Robbinsville, NC)

Davis Wong, WR/DB, 6’1” 170 lbs., Brentwood (Los Angeles, CA)

Dillon Rickenbacker, DB, 6’1” 200 lbs., St. John Bosco (Bellflower, CA)

Eddie Palumbo III, LB, 6’4” 210, Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains,NY)

Jackson Boone, DE, 6’5” 205 lbs., Peddie School (Hightstown, NJ)

Joe McCord, LB, 6’1” 220 lbs., Alcoa (Alcoa, TN)

JP Schmidt, DB, 6’0” 185 lbs., IC Catholic Prep (Elmhurst, IL)

Kyle Maltarich, WR, 6’2” 180 lbs., West Holmes (Millersburg, OH)

Lota Ugokwe, DE, 6’1” 220 lbs., Walton (Marietta, GA)

Mack Johnson, DL/OL, 6’4” 250 lbs., High Point Christian (High Point, NC)

Sam McGivern, LB/DE, 6‘2″ 245 lbs., Kimberly (Kimberly, WI)

Steven Partin, RB/LB, 6’2” 215 lbs. Knox Central (Barbourville, KY)

Thomas Bacon Jr. , TE, 6’4” 215 lbs., Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, NY)

Trent Page, DE, 6’4” 240 lbs., Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, MN)

Tyler Fontenot, K/P, 6’1” 170 lbs., Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, VA)

Xavier Rivers, DE, 6’2″ 240 lbs., Northwest (Germantown, MD)

Adam Pandolphi, RB/DB, 6’1” 200 lbs., North Haven (North Haven, CT)

Bennett Anderson, OL/DL, 6’5” 270lbs., Bellarmine Prep (San Jose, CA)

Billy Eastep, DB, 6’0” 200 lbs., Brophy Prep (Phoenix, AZ)

Brandon Banks, DB, 6’0” 170 lbs., Aliquippa (Aliquippa, PA)

Breylan Thompson, DB, 6’1” 170 lbs., Episcopal (Bellaire, TX)

Camden Hickox, WR, 6’2”, 180 lbs., Appling County (Baxley, GA)

Charles Barkley-Smith, WR, 6′0” 175 lbs., Loganville (Loganville, GA)

Charlie Humphreys, OL, 6’7” 285 lbs., Cistercian Prep, (Dallas, TX)

Chris White, DB, 6’0” 190 lbs., Cheshire Academy (Cheshire, CT/San Diego, CA)

Colton Sanders, TE/OLB, 6’3” 225 lbs., Katy (Katy, TX)

Davis Wong, WR/DB, 6’1” 170 lbs., Brentwood (Los Angeles, CA)

Dillon Rickenbacker, DB, 6’1” 200 lbs., St. John Bosco (Bellflower, CA)

Eddie Palumbo III, LB, 6’4” 210, Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains,NY)

Jackson Boone, DE, 6’5” 205 lbs., Peddie School (Hightstown, NJ)

Joe McCord, LB, 6’1” 220 lbs., Alcoa (Alcoa, TN)

JP Schmidt, DB, 6’0” 185 lbs., IC Catholic Prep (Elmhurst, IL)

Kyle Maltarich, WR, 6’2” 180 lbs., West Holmes (Millersburg, OH)

Lota Ugokwe, DE, 6’1” 220 lbs., Walton (Marietta, GA)

Mack Johnson, DL/OL, 6’4” 250 lbs., High Point Christian (High Point, NC)

Quinn Crotty, WR/DB, 6’4” 215 lbs., Upper Arlington (Upper Arlington, VA)

Sam McGivern, LB/DE, 6 ‘2″ 245 lbs., Kimberly (Kimberly, WI)

Steven Partin, RB/LB, 6’2” 215 lbs. Knox Central (Barbourville, KY)

Thomas Bacon Jr. , TE, 6’4” 215 lbs., Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, NY)

Trent Page, DE, 6’4” 240 lbs., Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, MN)

Tyler Fontenot, K/P, 6’1” 170 lbs., Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, VA)

Let us know who we are missing!

Nolan Grooms was named the Asa S. Bushnell Cup Winner as the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year for the second straight year. This was only the 6^th time in history that a Bushnell winner was recognized for this prestigious award twice in a collegiate career.

Transfer Portal Updates

Graduate Transfer Commitments:

Jonathan Mendoza – Louisville

Jackson Hawes – Georgia Tech

Wande Owens – New Hampshire

Dathan Hickey – Youngstown State

Others Receiving Interest:

Clay Patterson – Decommitted from Illinois. Other offers from UNLV, WKU, North Texas, Cal, Oregon State, Houston, USF, and Colorado

Joseph Vaughn- Offers from San Diego State and Maine

Hamilton Moore – Offers from UTEP, Norfolk State, and Bryant

Marcus Mauney – Offers from Prairie View A&M, Lindenwood, Sacred Heart, UT Martin, Bryant, and Norfolk State

Potential Loss:

Aidan Warner, QB – Entered transfer portal

The Bulldogs secured their 4th Ivy League Championship in the last 6 years with a 23-18 win over the Crimson at the Bowl in front of a crowd of over 51,000 spectators.  Congratulations to the players and coaches on an amazing back-to-back title run!

Grooms had ups and downs throughout the contest but delivered with the game on the line in the 4th quarter. Two promising Yale drives were derailed by turnovers from Grooms as he was under heavy pressure and was trying to force miraculous plays. Once the Crimson had taken the lead, Grooms found Tipton open along the sideline for a 31-yard gain for one of the greatest receptions in Yale’s history. Tipton managed to secure the pass and tap one foot in bounds right in front of Tim Murphy who successfully pleaded the case that Tipton was out of bounds before an overruling from the replay officials. On the next series, Grooms perfectly placed a ball to the corner of the end zone that Pantelis snagged over a defender in tight coverage. Although Grooms accounted for just 12 net rushing yards (64 yards gained, 52 yards lost), he had impactful runs and scrambles all contest. Pitsenberger, Alston, and Denney had tremendous performances at the running back position. Pitsenberger rushed for 99 hard fought yards and left a few more yards on the table as he tried to outrun defenders laterally instead of cutting inside. Alston had a strong showing in his final contest as he led the Bulldogs with 5.0 yards per carry. Denney filled in with Peterson out with an injury and was a pleasant surprise in the running game with 4.5 yards per carry and a touchdown. Yale only completed 10 passes in the contest but the wideouts made the most of their limited receptions. Lindley led the unit with 4 receptions for 39 yards and a touchdown while Tipton and Pantelis combined for another 3 receptions. The offensive line had their hands full against a stout defensive front yet only allowed 3 sacks and paved the way for 13 rushing first downs that allowed Yale to possess the ball over 35 minutes in the contest. The Bulldogs were fortunate that Durand was healthy as Bluhm and Charron battled through injuries during the contest. Junior OL Connor Smith filled in admirably at the guard position for much of the contest following Charron’s injury. Hawes and Yates were both solid at run blocking.

While the offense did just enough to win the contest, the defense and special teams deserve much of the credit for the victory. The defense limited Harvard to just 4 of 14 on third downs and 0 of 3 on fourth downs. The Crimson’s 1^st Team All-Ivy running back was held to 50 rushing yards and no touchdowns. Vaughn was dominant with 10 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and an interception that was returned for a touchdown but called back due to a penalty. Murphy did not study the Yale-Princeton film closely enough as he ran Harvard’s QB up the middle at Vaughn in the 4^th quarter resulting in a fumble and shoulder injury for Jaden Craig. Moore had a nice contest with 4 tackles, half a tackle for loss and tight pass coverage. Patterson was a headache for the Crimson throughout the game and allowed his fellow defensive linemen to rack up impressive statistics. Larry notched another 3 sacks in the contest while Gulley, Shaber, Tyler, Egodogbare and Yang all made key stops. Owens and Guyton played well at the cornerback positions with Guyton sealing the victory on 4^th down with tight coverage. Daniyan was beat on a flea flicker on Harvard’s opening possession but bounced back to have a stellar showing. Tarver showed promise against Harvard’s rushing attack but was out of position on both of the Crimson’s touchdown passes.

Bosman made his only field goal attempt of 33 yards and averaged 38 yards per punt. Florio handled most of the punting duties and placed two of his four punts inside the redzone although his 25-yard punt in the 4^th quarter nearly proved disastrous. The punt block and field goal block teams were gamechangers for Yale. Dayne and Raymond each blocked a punt while Egodogbare blocked an extra point attempt that forced Harvard to chase additional points on failed two-point conversions.

Congratulations to Team 150!

MVP: Joseph Vaughn, Linebacker

Senior of the Year: Joseph Vaughn, Linebacker

Junior of the Year: Alvin Gulley, Jr., Defensive Tackle

Sophomore of the Year: Joshua Pitsenberger, Running Back

Rookie of the Year: Osize Daniyan, Safety

Most Improved over Career: Jermaine Baker, Linebacker

Offensive Lineman of the Year: Jonathan Mendoza, Tackle

Defensive Lineman of the Year: Clay Patterson, Defensive End

Offensive Skill Position Player of the Year: Mason Tipton, Wide Receiver

Defensive Skill Position Player of the Year: Joseph Vaughn, Linebacker

Specialist of the Year: Jack Bosman, Kicker/Punter

Most Underrated Player: Zion Dayne, Special Teams